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“Oh, that’s foreshadowing.” Mulder’s eyes didn’t leave the screen, even when she turned to look at him. He and Scully were watching a movie, as they did every Friday, and for once they were watching something neither of them had seen. This was also the first time they’d dropped the pretense of bringing work home or talking about a case, they were JUST watching a movie.
Scully looked at Mulder, confused by his statement. “What? How?”
“For one he didn’t even close his eyes. But then he made her go 100% of the way, not even 90-10.”
Scully laughed. “Ninety-ten?”
“Yeah, you know! You’ve never heard of 90-10?? Oh, come on.” She stared blankly so he continued, “If you’re ever unsure if a girl wants to kiss you you’re supposed to go for it but stop at 90% and see if she goes for it. You do 90 and if she likes you she’ll do the 10.”
Scully just raised an eyebrow until he suddenly leaned toward her.
“Like if I suddenly get this close to you and the moment had been right, surely you can tell that that’s what I’m doing, right?”
Scully laughed nervously and gently pushed him away, turned back to the screen as a blush creeped up her neck. “I guess the moment would have to be right.”
“Yeah. Well, besides ignoring 90-10 it was also a kiss you give your mother.”
At this Scully grabbed the remote from his coffee table and paused the movie. “Okay, you’ll have to elaborate again because that is NOT how I kiss my mother.” She laughed again and pulled one leg up onto the couch and turned to face him fully.
“Naaahh, come on, his heart wasn’t in it at all!” He mirrored her posture and turned to face her. “Like I said, his eyes were open. There was no tongue, it was basically just a long peck. He looked like he had better things to be doing!“
“How did you pick that up from a 10 second kiss in the beginning of the movie?? There’s barely even been dialogue!”
“I’m telling you, this movie is going to end with them breaking up. He may even be cheating.”
“And you got all that from one kiss?”
“Tell me I’m wrong. Rewind it and tell me you’d want someone to kiss you like that.”
She laughed but obliged and rewound the tape, still turned to face him. She tilted her head toward the screen and paused it again after the kiss. “I mean… I guess. If I’m being honest I don’t really see it!”
“Okay, tell me which you prefer.” And suddenly he was in her bubble again, making her chest burn red as she realized what he was doing.
“Option one.” His lips were on hers, making her eyes widen, shocked he really went through with it. He didn’t move his lips but just left them in a forceful peck for a couple seconds. Then he sat back and put his hands up in a shrug. “See? No passion in that. Kinda boring, clearly he had other things on his mind.”
Scully’s mind was swimming at the contact. She couldn’t believe he’d just kissed her, even if it was lacking passion in his opinion, and she had a vague thought that maybe Eddie van Blundht had broken out of prison.
“Option two.” He leaned in slowly this time, eyes on her lips the whole way. He paused just in front of her face and met her eyes, which were once again wide as saucers. She felt like they’d been frozen there for an hour when she realized he went 90. She blushed and suppressed a smile as she looked at his lips before finally leaning in. She barely touched his lips and immediately wondered if she’d misread the situation and panicked for just a second; her eyes flew open but his were closed, as he’d implied they should be. When he slowly parted her lips with his she forgot that this was about the movie at all and her eyes slipped shut. His tongue chastely grazed her lips before retreating, but she wanted more. She leaned into him, her tongue finding his again but much less gently. Her hands found his neck and slid down his chest. She wrapped one hand in the neck of his t-shirt and pulled him to her, causing him to gasp slightly into her mouth.
After what could have been an hour or a minute, he’ll never know, he cursed his lungs as he stopped to catch his breath. He was acutely aware of the fast pants coming from Scully and he had to scoot away from her before she noticed the effect she was having on him. He adjusted his hips and squirmed a bit as he cleared his throat.
“Uh, so… yeah… That was option 2… what do you think?” He turned to face Scully whose face was almost the color of her hair.
She turned toward the TV and stared straight ahead and said, “right. Yeah. Option 2. I guess I get what you’re saying.” She bit her lip, missing the feel of his mouth on hers, but mortified that she had forgotten it was basically an exercise.
Mulder saw she was embarrassed and slowly yawned, stretched, and let one hand land on the couch behind her. It was the oldest trick in the book but she didn’t know 90-10 so he could only hope it was obvious enough that she’d see it as flirting. That was the best kiss he could ever remember in his life and he couldn’t let it be ruined with an awkward aftermath.
He saw her glance over at him and it seemed she relaxed ever so slightly and even smiled - just barely. He breathed a sigh of relief and she laid her head on his shoulder. It was his turn to smile - just barely.
How would he ever survive this movie next to her??